Prince Andrew lobbied US government to help pedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein get 'sweetheart plea-deal' in 2008
Bombshell court documents have revealed how Prince Andrew reportedly lobbied the US government to help his pedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein get a "sweetheart plea-deal" with just 18 months in prison in 2008.
The allegation was found in a motion filed by lawyers for two Epstein accusers, who had tried to get a hold of said documents for a long time to back up their claims about Andrew's apparent lobbying efforts, the Daily Mail reported.
According to the report, the motion was part of a 2015 libel case against Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite who was later revealed to be Epstein's confidante and partner in crime. The documents were sealed until a judge ordered them to be released following Maxwell's arrest on sex trafficking charges.
"(They are) seeking documents regarding Epstein’s lobbying efforts to persuade the government to give him a favorable plea arrangement, including efforts on his behalf by Prince Andrew and former Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz," Lawyers for the pair, referred to as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, wrote in the motion.
"They have alleged these materials are needed to prove their allegations that, after Epstein signed the non-prosecution agreement his performance was delayed while he used his significant social and political connections to lobby the justice department to obtain a more favorable plea deal," they added.
The sensational documents also include the transcript of a 2016 deposition by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, Epstein's most vocal accuser who detailed the prince's alleged involvement in her abuse.
In 2011, Giuffre's lawyers asked her if Andrew would have "relevant information" in the case.
"Yes, he would know a lot of the truth," she said at the time. "I don’t know how much he’d be able to help you with, but seeing as he’s in a lot of trouble himself these days I think he might, so I think he might be valuable."
The disgraced royal claims he distanced himself from Epstein following his 2008 conviction, saying he met with him only once in New York in 2010 to formally cut ties.
However, Giuffre claims she had sex with Prince Andrew on at least three separate occasions, including once when she was underage in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Epstein had a private island called Little St. James.
The victim was photographed alongside Andrew in Maxwell's London townhouse in 2011. She claims the picture was taken just hours after she first met the royal in the Tramp nightclub in Mayfair.
The pair also had sex that evening, according to Giuffre, who said the act made her feel "so dirty and ashamed that she showered straight afterwards."
Andrew, who reportedly knew Maxwell since his college days, has denied any wrongdoing. Nonetheless, he is facing increasing pressure from federal authorities to help their probe into Epstein's inner circle.
Earlier this year, US Attorney General Bill Barr said Andrew must speak to the FBI and that his team 'definitely' wants to interview him as part of the investigation.
"The department wants to talk to Prince Andrew. That's why the Southern District has been making efforts to communicate with him. We've made it clear that we'd like to communicate with him," he asserted.